LONDON, October 11. /Corr. Igor Brovarnik/. Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko, the foreign Ministry asked the United Kingdom to comment on reports in the local media about the resolution of the British pilots involved in the operation against the terrorist group “Islamic state” (IG) in the airspace of Iraq, to strike at Russian military aircraft. This was reported by the press service of the Russian Embassy in London.
“Concerned about the media reports, since we are talking about links to senior members of the Cabinet. He had asked for clarification in the British foreign office”, – quotes the words Yakovenko press service of the Embassy of the Russian Federation.
The Russian diplomat also expressed surprise “hypothesis of potential conflicts of aircraft in the UK and Russia in the skies over Iraq.” “As you know, Russian aircraft not involved in the strikes against the Islamist positions in the territory of that state. For its part, the British aviation is not involved in antiepilepsy coalition strikes in Syria. The question is, what’s the point of such provocative stuffing? Whose morale they are intended to raise?”, – he pointed out.
“As for the joint fight against ISIS, we have not received a response to our official request of the British party information that it has regarding the infrastructure of the IG, which could be used by air group VC Russia”, – said Yakovenko.
Permission to attack the aircraft of the Russian Federation
Earlier the London Sunday newspaper the Daily Star Sunday, citing its own sources at the British defense Ministry claimed that “aircraft “Tornado” Royal air force was equipped with missiles “air-air” and received the go-ahead to shoot down hostile Russian aircraft”.
According to one of the newspaper’s sources, “when the jets fly at supersonic speed in the airspace becomes crowded very quickly”, for that reason “may be a collision, or the Russian pilot can be shot down by mistake”.
The UK Ministry of defence, in turn, was considered frivolous to comment on the claims of the tabloids .”We do not comment on such press allegations,” – said Corr. in a press-service of the Ministry of defence of the United Kingdom, making it clear that this information is not true.
In Iraq with the U.S. air force engaged in combat planes from Australia, the UK, Jordan, Canada, the Netherlands and France, in Syria – Australia, Bahrain, Jordan, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and France.
VKS RF, since the 30 September strike blows to objects of terrorists from the Islamic state in Syria. Representatives of the defense Ministry emphasize that Russian aircraft bombed the positions of the Islamists, and armed forces of the Russian Federation operating in Syria at the request of Assad.
